Peer Review

Rough Draft

PSY 540 Cognitive Psychology

Ashley Brown

August 13, 2018

Problem Statement: Contemporary Problem

Failure to seek mental health treatment can cause serious mental illnesses in individuals’ life. Researchers have identified several barriers in which come in the way of care seeking and mental health treatment. The first barrier is stigma and discrimination, stigma refer to stereotypes/ prejudice and discrimination refers to cruel judgement. The high levels of stigma in the community often increase the fear, rejecting, and distance of those who suffer mental illness. Studies show that 45-60% of individuals tend to distant themselves from individuals who suffer from mental illness such as depression and schizophrenia. The stigma of mental illness increases the chances of individuals failing to seek treatment (Goldsmith, Pellmar, & Kleinman, 2009). The second barrier is finances, the cost of treatment can be extremely expensive. Studies show that about 60-70% of individuals that live in large areas are worried about cost of mental health treatments. Researcher indicate that individuals who do not have health insurance are obligated to pay the fees out of pocket which can become very costly. The last barrier is mental health system, the way a mental health is structure and organized can dictate how many clients they actually see. Individuals will not seek help from department in which an unorganized, unprofessional, and uncertified. This can prevent individuals from receiving the right help due to incompetence and lack of education/resources (Goldsmith, Pellmar, & Kleinman, 2009).

According to National Alliance of Mental Health, serious mental illness cost America up to 193.2 billion in lost earning a year. Individuals who suffer untreated mood disorders (major depression, dysthymic disorder, and bipolar disorder) are the 3rd most common cause of hospitalization in the U.S. Individuals who fail to seek mental health treatment may face increased risk of having chronic medical conditions and studies shows that adults tend to die 25 years earlier from serious mental health illness that could have been treatable. One-third of students who suffer from mental illnesses ages 14-21are ranked the highest dropout rate of any disability group. Lastly, more than 90% of children who die by suicide have suffered from a mental health condition.

Problem Statement: Selected Area

Perception is defined as the ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the sense (Dictionary, 2018). Perception allows our organism to make prediction about the future and to plan for certain actions and outcomes. The cognitive research data suggest that based on the way individuals receive issues our brain may implement the events and form a prediction and outcomes. Researchers have identified an important aspect to perception called perceptual predictions. Perceptual predictions the representation of states of the world in the near future. According to the article, the quality of perceptual predictions depends on the good standing of what is actually happening (Zacks, Speer, Swallow, Braver, & Reynolds, 2007). Perception has a direct correlation to the stigma of mental health because the way individuals view mental health can prevent them from seeking the proper treatment (Corrigan, Druss, & Perlick, 2014). Mental health is the professional field of interest for this research project. Mental health is a person condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being (Dictionary, 2018). The concepts of mental health include subjective well-being, competence, autonomy, and recognition. Mental health problems can affect the society as a whole, therefore by enhancing the knowledge and competence of individuals in our community it can prevent untreated illnesses (World Health Organization, 2003).

Problem Statement: Performance Issues and Limitations

Individuals who fail to seek treatment for mental health not only put themselves in danger but also others. The brain is a very critical aspects to the body and without the proper help you can risk receiving many cognitive deficits. Researcher identify cognitive deficits such as the inability to pay attention, process information quickly, memory and critical thinking issues, improper speech, and more (Trivedi, 2006). Examples: Patients with schizophrenia experience hallucinations, delusions, racing thoughts and functional impairments. These patients tend to have lower IQ, attention impairments, and dysfunctional working memory (Bowie & Harvey, 2006). Patients with mood disorders encounter affective episodes, impairment of verbal memory, focusing- execution, and abstract reasoning (Trivedi, 2006). The following disorder above are just two of the many different disorders in which cause a numerous amount of issue with the brain. This is why is it so important for individual to engage in mental health treatment when need to prevent or minimize the damage of the disorders.

Problem Statement: Research Questions

The following question below are provided to explain the structure of the research. The question below describes in great detail the major concerns between perception’s and mental health treatment.

· How does perception interfere with individuals seeking mental health treatment including individual therapy, group therapy, or medications?

· What are the common complication individuals face who refuse to seek refuse to seek mental health treatment based on perception?

· What techniques and skills can psychologist and other mental health advocates use to increase individuals who have mental issues to seek assistance?

Contemporary Relevance: Utility of Theories/Apply

The strength of this project is given to help increase the number of individuals to get mental health treatment as needed. The strength of mental health practice is to solve problems and control ongoing symptoms of mental illnesses. Individuals who suffer from major disorders can used treatment to improve their quality of life. Individuals who engage in treatment often find motivation to continue a better life and build courage (Xie, 2013). Studies show that finding a meaning in daily living, work as enduring strength, entertaining activities, and positive relationship all promote strengths in mental health (Boroujeni, Maghsoundi, & Oreyzi, 2015). Mental health strengths come from two areas of knowledge recovery and positive psychology. Recovery is the stage in which helps patient move on with their lives while dealing with their mental illness. Recovery breakdowns patients change of attitude, values, feelings, goals, skills, and roles. The purpose of recovery is to develop a plan that provides stability and structure to those who suffer from mental illness. Positive psychology provides patients with a sense of happiness, stability, and optimal functioning (Slade, 2010). The limitation of mental health and perception can involve religious beliefs, perception, age influences, multiple symptoms, and more. These limitations of mental health can create many issues with treatment, diagnoses, and stability of the patient. As stated above individuals can face many barriers that can come in the way of mental health treatment. The strengths outweigh the limitation because there are more positive outcomes to treatment then negative.

Interpretation of Research Findings

The research results and statistical findings provide to supportive data and resources to the influences of perceptions on mental health. Studies show that there a numerous amount articles in which explain stigma, discrimination, and prejudice against mental health treatment. Based on the results found in each literature review, it explains how critical it is to receive mental treatment is. The results indicate the problems, issues, and dysfunctions individuals may face when patients fail to receive treatment. The result explains the difference between those who seek and treatment and those who refuse to get help. The resources provided in this research include primary and secondary sources from scholar articles and statistical data research. Mental health and perceptions are two major aspects in research therefore, when conducting your searchers, you have to mindful of the amount of opinions instead of factional information. Overall, the research finding for mental health and perception was rather challenging yet the knowledge within each source provides a little more insight the influences of perception in mental health treatment.

Methodological Principles

Based on the research question, the strategies and techniques used to analyze perception and mental health are enhanced through research. By educating individuals on the importance of mental health condition and treatment, one can increase the number of individuals who receive help. People who suffer from mental illnesses need to understand the risk if they fail to seek treatment. Researcher can develop programs, advocates, and classes to explain the importance of receiving mental health. As previously stated the barrier of mental health can cause many people to not get treatment and mental health can affect the community as a whole. Although researcher may not be able to completely stop the barrier, but they can provide information on how to get over the barriers. Mental health is a serious condition in which could lead to life or death circumstances. This is why providing the information and help to our community is so important. The goal of this research is to provide individuals with enough research and knowledge to help enhance individual seeking mental health treatment.

Conclusion

Researcher have developed different program and polices to help enhance care seeking treatment to help decrease stigma. Stigma is a very complex and influential subject on mental health and treatment. According to Corrigan, Druss, & Perlick, there are three ways to enhance research on stigma in mental health: changing stigma to care participation to goals, adjusting the personal choice that conflict with community needs, and expand sense of care beyond the American-centered model. Based on the stigma to care participation, researcher hope to reduce stigma and enhance care seeking. Researchers are developing this to help decrease illness and help individuals achieve their persona life goals. Researcher who form adjustment of individuals personal choice that conflicts with community need focuses on self-determination. Mental health can become a major concern of the community when individuals can become a danger to themselves and others. Researcher have to take the time to identify ongoing concerns with the community and mental health by forming hypothesis, data analyze and methods (Corrigan, Druss, & Perlick, 2014). Lastly, researcher must expand mental health care beyond the American-centered model. This means that researchers must take the time to make sense of care seeking and identify the common concerns of mental health (Corrigan, Druss, & Perlick, 2014).

Resources